Thanks to several mid-range jumpers from Odom, the defending champion Lakers avoided a complete collapse during the second unit's minutes. At one point, the Grizzlies had led the Lakers by as many as nine, and by the end of the first quarter, the Lakers had only barely managed to hold the deficit at seven.
At Staples Center, in front of the proudest fans in the world, the "second-rate" Memphis Grizzlies were leading the defending champions by seven.
More than half of the Los Angeles fans had their mouths hanging open. They had never expected the Grizzlies to be this strong. Everyone knew the Grizzlies had just won four straight, but their opponents over those four games had not been particularly formidable.
The Pacers, Raptors, and Kings were all currently outside the top eight in their respective conferences. The only somewhat capable opponent, the Jazz, had not been especially dominant this season either.
So at first, Los Angeles had not believed the Grizzlies could threaten them. But now, trailing by seven after the first quarter, and after Link had dominated the rotation minutes with 6 points, 2 assists, 3 rebounds, and 1 steal, Lakers fans realized they had underestimated their opponent.
The Los Angeles media could only hope that someone would step up over the next three quarters and stop Link. If he kept performing this efficiently, they—the ones who had mocked him—would have a hard time saving face after the game.
Matt Barnes, who had been held in such high expectations, said nothing. As a player known for his defense and toughness, being led around by the nose on the court by an undrafted rookie was humiliating.
Kobe and Phil did not blame Barnes, but the man still sank into deep self-reproach. Kobe, meanwhile, had become completely serious. After all,